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Thorium trichloride

Names
IUPAC name Trichlorothorium
Other names Thorium(III) chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	15123-26-9
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	123372
PubChem CID	139894 (charge error)
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID90164741
InChI InChI=1S/3ClH.Th/h3*1H;/q;;;+3/p-3Key: LQPUBIDKGBFLMP-UHFFFAOYSA-K
SMILES Cl(Cl)Cl
Properties
Chemical formula	Cl3Th
Molar mass	338.39 g·mol
Appearance	crystals
Related compounds
Related compounds	Americium trichloride, uranium trichloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa). Infobox references

Thorium trichloride is a binary inorganic compound of thorium metal and chlorine with the chemical formula ThCl₃.

Synthesis

The compound can be prepared by reducing thorium tetrachloride at 800°C:

3Th + ThCl₄ → 4ThCl₃

Also a reaction of both elements:

2Th + 3Cl₂ → 2ThCl₃

Other reactions are also known.

Physical properties

The compound forms crystals of the uranium trichloride crystal system.

Chemical properties

Above 630 °C thorium trichloride dissociates into the dichloride and tetrachloride.

Uses

Thorium trichloride is supposed to be used in a dual fluid reactor as reactor fuel.

References

1. Lau, K. H.; Hildenbrand, D. L. (1990). "High-temperature equilibrium studies of the gaseous thorium chlorides". J. Chem. Phys. 92 (10): 6124. Bibcode:1990JChPh..92.6124L. doi:10.1063/1.458335. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
2. Buschbeck, Karl-Christian (1985). Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry. Springer-Verlag. p. 34. ISBN 978-3-540-93515-5. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
3. Bagnall, Kenneth W.; Kanellakopulos, Basil (21 December 1984). Coordination Compounds. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 22. ISBN 978-3-540-93515-5. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
4. Annual Summary Research Report of Chemistry, Engineering, Metallurgy, Physics and Reactor Divisions. Ames Laboratoty. 1965. p. 1-9. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
5. Bulletin. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1962. p. 116. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
6. Reactor Fuel Processing. U.S. Argonne National Laboratory. 1961. p. 42. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
7. "The Dual Fluid Reactor" (PDF). Institute for Solid-State Nuclear Physics gGmbH. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

• Thorium compounds
• Nuclear materials
• Chlorides
• Actinide halides